Often times in the history of science, women’s contributions can go unnoticed or underappreciated, so taking time to shine a spotlight on what we have learned about our universe thanks to some incredible women can give us a more complete understanding of who is behind the telescope. Join us in meeting astronomers such as Vera Rubin, Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, among many others, explore the history of astronomy, and learn about our universe through each of their discoveries.

“That is how I heard the story, so I thought that is how you would hear it as well…” Join us for a fascinating show that blends local culture, history, and modern-day astronomy that shares the Six Nation’s sky lore and language through traditional indigenous night-sky stories. With narration and visuals by a live presentation and pre-recorded excerpts (in English, Mohawk, and Cayuga), learn about the story of the bear and the brothers and how it is retold every year with the rotating patterns in the night sky. See the same stars with a completely different understanding and appreciation! This show was collaboratively produced by members of the Six Nations, McMaster’s Indigenous Studies Program, and the McCallion Planetarium.

With the development of new telescopes that could see beyond visible light and the invention of computers to analyze cosmic data, the field of astronomy grew exponentially in the 1900’s. The Milky Way was found to be only one galaxy that existed in several billion; the Universe was found to be expanding; mysterious dark matter was proposed; and new planets were discovered to be orbiting distant stars. In this Planetarium show, we will travel back in time to investigate these topics and more as we explore the major astronomical discoveries of the 20th century.

Join us at the planetarium for a show geared toward younger audiences (8-15 years old) and their family members. We’ll first take you on a tour of the night skies seen from Hamilton, and then focus on the many fascinating bodies within our Solar System. Along the way, we will visit all the planets, some of the most interesting moons, and even more if time permits!

Join us at the planetarium for a show especially geared toward younger audiences (8-15 years old) and their family members. You’ve seen the Sun and the Moon, the planets, and the Hamilton night sky, but what’s beyond the Solar System? In this show, we’ll journey through the Milky Way and discuss our Solar System’s place in the Galaxy and our Galaxy’s place in the Universe. How long will it take to get to the nearest stars and to visit other worlds? What’s in the centre of the Galaxy? How does our Galaxy compare to others? We’ll answer all of these questions and more!

We know that our Universe is big and that we are tiny. However, it is hard to imagine how big it actually is. How big is our Sun? How long would it take to travel out of our Solar System? Is it possible for us to leave the Milky Way and go to another galaxy? If you want to know the answers to these questions, join us for this planetarium show. We will take a trip deeper and deeper into the Universe and see how things are organized at different levels of structure. We will visit different planets, stars, and galaxies, and see how big they actually are. We will learn some fun knowledge while feeling the sheer vastness of the Universe.

We’re lost. Audience members set off on a treacherous ocean voyage and were blown way off course. Their only way home: the stars. In this interactive session, we will teach you how to navigate with only the night sky. We will start with a brief tour of the night sky and how it works. Once oriented, we will try to determine our location and time, and then hopefully… find our way home.

Stars in literature are often depicted as eternal or immutable, but this could not be further from the truth: stars are born, live, and die, albeit on timescales much longer than a human life. From their birth shrouded in massive clouds of gas to their old age when they shed their material, stars are in constant interaction with their surroundings. These interactions give rise to some of the most beautiful structures in astronomy: Nebulae. In this show, we invite you to tour a gallery of nebulae ranging from stellar nurseries – such as the famous Pillars of Creation and Horsehead nebula – to the last images of dying stars, like the Crab and Ring Nebulae.

After your darkest hour, the Sun will shine again… Every so often, in the middle of the day when the Sun is bright and the air is warm, a dark shadow passes over the Earth, the temperature drops, stars and planets become visible, and the Sun appears to disappear. The event? A total Solar Eclipse. In this show, we will discover what happens during Solar and Lunar eclipses, observe planetary transits, and discuss the astronomical explanation for the question: “What happened to the Sun?”

Everybody has the ability to interpret the awe of the night sky in their own way. For many of us, the vastness of space is best explained through music. We embark on a musical journey through the celestial objects to understand how they have inspired musical artists on Earth. From planets to galaxies and classical to funk, we consider all aspects of the vastness of space and music to understand how we as humans interpret the beauty of the night sky.

It is 1977 and you are the newly built NASA probe, Voyager 1. You prepare for your long journey through our Solar System and beyond, to places in the Universe no human-made object has ever been. You pack your bag with some messages and music from humanity, stored on a golden record, to present to any new friends you may meet on the way. Join us in the Planetarium to experience the sights and sounds of an absolutely out-of-this-world road trip!

Summer evenings are a great time for looking up into the night sky, especially from a spot away from city lights. But what are we looking at? Are there any astronomical events to look forward to during August? Join us in the Planetarium as we explore what’s up in the night sky at this time of year from our perspective in Hamilton. We’ll learn about objects we can see with the naked eye – the Moon, some planets, some constellations and a meteor shower! Then we’ll look deeper into space and learn about objects that are above us, but can only be seen using a telescope – like other galaxies millions of light years away!

Fall evenings are a great time for looking up into the night sky as it gets dark earlier, and the cool air helps improve visibility of objects in the sky. But what are we looking at? Do any astronomical events occur during November? Join us in the Planetarium as we explore what’s up in the night sky at this time of year from our perspective in Hamilton. We’ll learn about objects we can see with the naked eye – some planets, constellations, meteor showers and a lunar eclipse! Then we’ll look deeper into space and learn about objects that are above us but can only be seen using a telescope – like other galaxies millions of light years away!